Myrtle Beach woman hit by truck, then charged for being on freeway. Was arrest legal?
A Myrtle Beach woman was walking along U.S. 17 Business when she was hit by a pickup truck.
She survived the crash, but was then arrested for walking on the roadway.
Jennifer Bone, 40, was arrested on May 1, 2025, for walking on a freeway. However, it does not appear that she broke the law.
South Carolina outlines what is considered a freeway and a highway. It is not unusual for pedestrians to walk along the roadways and highways in the Myrtle Beach area.
Bone did not respond to a request to comment.
At about 2:25 a.m., Bone was walking north along U.S. 17 between North Jensen and South Jensen avenues when a Chevrolet pickup truck driving south hit her, a South Carolina Highway Patrol report shows.
Bone had minor injuries and police brought her to the hospital, the report said. Later, she was arrested and booked into J. Reuben Long Detention Center for violating a state law that prohibits pedestrians from walking along freeways.
But according to South Carolina’s definition, Bone was not on a freeway. A freeway is defined as a multi-lane divided highway with controlled access and grade separated interchanges, which U.S. 17 is not. Bone was walking on a highway.
On the section of U.S. 17 where Bone was walking, there are no sidewalks, meaning she was legally required to walk along the shoulder or outside edge of the road while facing traffic, state law says. A drawing detailing the crash shows that Bone was walking on the far side of the highway.
Bone was released from J. Reuben Long Detention Center on a $500 bond.
